Reflections Magazine Issue #57 - Spring 2002 | Page 14

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By Jennifer Hamlin Church

oing to class on a computer?
The notion may seem as farfetched to alumni of the past
as it is unsurprising to today’s
students.
Online education, also called “distance learning” because students can “attend” class from
a distance, is no longer a new thing in higher
education. Initially regarded with suspicion,
online classes have moved into the mainstream, offering access to learning that transcends geography.
Twenty-five years ago, Siena Heights pioneered convenient degree completion for
adult students, taking college to the students
(in urban areas across southern Michigan)
rather than making students come to the
college. Other schools followed suit; where
once Siena was the only degree-completion
option in town, today SHU is one of 24 adult
degree-completion competitors in Detroit.
Online education has taken convenience to
a new level. Now students can “go to class”
where and when they want or need to.
Guided by the University’s mission and
commitment to quality education, Siena
Heights has developed its own approach

to distance learning, offering courses in a
unique “blended online” format that combines face-to-face interaction with the 24/7
convenience of the Internet.

test time and freezes at the end of the test.

Available through Siena’s Southfield center
and in Port Huron, the “blended online”
classes include several classroom meetings,
with the remainder of the course taught on
the Internet using the eCollege online learning platform.

In-depth lunch discussions
“I love the online classes,” said Susan Gerhard, now enrolled in her fourth blended
online course. “I can do the class work whenever I want—on my lunch hour, evenings,
weekends, even holidays.” But convenience
is only part of it.

Students typically meet together for the first
session of the course and again at the end;
the final in-person meeting is often used for
exams or presentations.
“The blended approach helps people get to
know each other so they can put faces with
names when doing online discussions,” said
Steve Ott, marketing director for the offcampus centers.
The online component of instruction includes
lectures and assignments posted weekly by
the instructor, and class discussions on group
discussion boards. Students may submit
assignments online and receive feedback via
email. Some professors include audio and/or
video elements, as well as interactive exercises. Sometimes students take exams online;
the computer program kn